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CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
1.1 Research Background
There are four language skills that should be mastered in teaching and learning English, namely listening, speaking, reading and writing Hidayat (2016). Reading is one of the four skills in English that must be mastered by every student. Rahman (2015) said that reading is the ability of an individual recognizes a visual form to associate the form with the sound or meaning acquired in the past, and the past experience, understand and interpret its meaning. It means that reading is individual ability in understanding and finding the message written by the author. Reading may help students to develop their language skills necessary for success, but it is not easy to implement an effective reading, especially in countries where English language is treated as foreign language, it means the success of implementing reading will depend on the student‟s interest.
According to Dadzie (2008) and Indah (2018) reading is the ability to understand words in a document and utilize the knowledge for personal growth and development. It means that, reading is about understanding written texts. The reader prosecuted to understand the reading text. If reading English text is not interest, vocabularies are hard to understand and the reading of the passage is too long, the students get difficult to understand the reading passage. The ability to read is the most essential to functioning in a literate society.
Reading text is generally involves reading books, notes, memos, letters, specifications, regulations, journals or manuals reports. It also includes forms that contain at least one paragraph of text. There are kind of reading texts in English Learning such as narrative text, recount text, descriptive text, report text, explanation text, news item, spoof text, analytical exposition text,
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discussion text and review text . The selection of an appropriate reading text is crucial. Furthermore, Halliwel (1995) and Indah (2018) gives the criteria of a good presentation in textbook: (1) the book are interesting and fun, (2) the students can easily read what they have to do, (3) the book should provide much activities and tasks which are interesting and worthwhile for them not just language exercise, (5) the book should provides much activities for students who cannot read and write yet with confidence. If the chosen part is inappropriate for any reason, the chances of success for that particular lesson are substantially diminish.
In learning a language, it is important to make sure that the reading text is readable for the students. According to Dubay (2004) and Yuliana (2019) the readable material is quite important to be considered by the teachers as long as to improve students‟ ability in understanding the materials. The English textbook used in learning process can help them in understanding the material better and easily. These challenge many teachers to determine the right textbook for their students. There are many kinds of English textbooks which are offered by publishers to various levels of students in the schools. A good English textbook is readable, understandable and comprehensible for students. The text is easy to be read and understood by the students so that it will encourage them to learn English. If they have difficulty to understand the textbook, they usually get bored and it will make them frustrated in learning English.
One of the factors of determines the quality of a reading text is readability. According to Dubay (2004) and Hidayatillah (2020) readability means levels that describe the easiness of the text to be comprehended while reading it. It means that the term readability is used in this study to refer to the ease with which a reader can read and understand text.
In order to procedures used for measuring readability are known as
“readability formula”. Readability formulas have been developed currently to find the causes of the difficulty level and to put the readability of a text in
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grade levels. The aim of the readability formulas is to help readers measuring the ideal texts based on the readability level.
Based on the explanation above, the researcher would like to analyze English textbook “Bahasa Inggris” for Grade XII Senior High School by using Flesch Reading Ease. It does not ensure that this book is appropriate for students. Sometimes, the lack of delivering message always happens towards understanding the text.
1.2 Identification of the Problem
Every teacher always bring a book when teaching-learning process.
Nowadays, there is a smartphone. The position of the book easily replaced with smartphone. There are many E-book and can be use easily. The teacher should not carrying heavy loads. But, the book was maintained. In activity teaching-learning process, the book brought by the teacher should have to be considered first. This aims to filter the material. Every material has different level. The higher level, material increasingly difficult. Therefore, the teacher should filter the book before giving the material. As a reference, the teacher has criteria to establish a book which will be used.
Each education level has criterian which are different from one to another. Then, each book which will use in the teaching and learning process should follow the criterian. Textbooks have been used by most teachers because the teaching materials are packed with specialized chapters. A textbook can serve different purposes for teachers such as a core resource, a source of supplementary material, an inspiration for classroom activities, and a curriculum itself (Basic Education, 2015). Moreover, the use of textbook will help both teachers and learners.
1.3 The Main Problem
Each book has criteria. However, aim of the book is accepatable and used by everyone. As a teacher, appreciate a book became an obligation. But,
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every teacher has own way to appreciate a book. So, it can be interest for reseacher.
In this research, the main problem is the analysis of readability level of reading text in english textbook “Bahasa Inggris” for XII Grade Senior High School Revised Edition (2018).
1.4 Limitation of the Problem
In this research, the study will be focused on analyzing the readability level of reading text. The researcher measure readability level of reading text in English textbook “Bahasa Inggris” for XII Senior High School by counting the words, syllables, and sentences based on Flesh Reading Ease will be used Readability Formula theory.
The limitation of this research is subject research; the subject of the research is reading text of English Textbook “Bahasa Inggris” for XII Grade Senior High School. This book is student books that prepared by the Government for the implementation of the Curriculum 2013 revised edition 2018. This students‟s book is prepared and reviewed by the coordination of the Ministry of Education and Culture Indonesia and is used in the early stages of applying the Curriculum 2013.
1.5 Research Question
Based on the research background, the problem of this research are formulated into the following questions:
1. How is the readability level of the reading text in English Textbook Bahasa Inggris for grade XII Senior High School revised edition (2018)?
2. How is the difficulty of the text in English Textbook Bahasa Inggris for grade XII Senior High School revised edition (2018)?
1.6 Aims of the Research
Based on the research questions mentioned above, the researcher has listed in this following points:
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1. To find out the readability level of the text in English Textbook Bahasa Inggris for grade XII Senior High School revised edition (2018).
2. To find out the difficulty of the text in English Textbook Bahasa Inggris for grade XII Senior High School revised edition (2018).
1.7 Significance of the Research
This research was conducted with the hope of providing benefits and give knowledge about the readability level that represented in this textbook actually in the reading text, as follow:
1. The teacher can choose the english textbook which is most suitable of in teaching learning process. Also, the teacher can apply this study as feedback on their teaching activities: improve their knowledge and experience.
2. The students can improve their knowledge and ability in English reading text, so that the students are able to understand the meaning of steps and development in written language becomes better.
3. The other researcher can improve the researcher‟s knowledge about readability level and of difficulties in reading text.
1.8 Previous Studies
The researcher summarized the relevant research by other reseachers from other sources of research to prove the originallity of research. The researcher found the researchers that have a similarity of reading text in english textbook using readability level. Some of the findings of related research are presented in the following section.
Ahmad Rijal Azizi (2015) this study aimed to describe the readability level of reading text in Passport to the World 2 textbook for the second grade of Junior High School. The researcher used descriptive analysis method in which the researcher attempted to analyze, elaborate, and describe the readability level. The researcher used Flesch Reading Ease Formula and used a cloze procedure Test to know the result.
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Anis Muslikhati (2015) this research investigates content analysis of reading material textbook in the first grade of Senior High School in 2013 curriculum. Nowadays, the government has arranged the 2013 curriculum.
This research has the aims: (1) to find out the level of readability in the reading material of Bahasa Inggris textbook for the first grade of senior high school in the first semester, (2) to find out the level of comprehension in each question of the reading material in Bahasa Inggris textbook for the first grade of senior high school in the first semester, and (3) to find out the lexical density of reading material in Bahasa Inggris textbook for the first grade of senior high school in the first semester. It will be differ with Anis Muslikhati‟s research. She used reading material textbook in the first grade of Senior High School in 2013 curriculum.
Hafizh Dwi Handayani (2015) this research investigates the readability level of the reading texts on English Textbook for Senior High School entitled
“Buku Sekolah Elektronik (BSE) Bahasa Inggris Kelas XI” with sub objectives of this research as follow: (1) whether the reading texts in the textbook is readable for the eleventh graders based on the Fry Graph (3) whether the reading texts in the textbook is readable for the eleventh graders based on the SMOG Formula. This is qualitative research and conducted by using a descriptive qualitative method. The writer will take all of the reading texts in an English textbook in the first semester entitle “Buku Sekolah Elektronik (BSE) Bahasa Inggris Kelas XI” and analyse the data by using Fry Graph and SMOG Readability Formula.
Hidayat (2015) discussed about ” The Readability Level of Reading Texts in the English Textbook Entitled “Bahasa Inggris SMA/MA/MAK” For Grade XI Semester 1 Published by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia”. This study was qualitative descriptive and the writer used Flesch Reading Ease formula to find out the readability of reading text in the textbook. There are five reading texts in the textbook. The results of this study are one text in Easy level, Reading Ease Score 82.94, two texts in Fairly Easy level, Reading Ease Score 71.06 and 76.48, one text in Standard level,
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Reading Ease Score 61.83 and one text in Fairly Difficult Reading Ease Score 54.70 .There is only one text appropriate with grade level.
Arif Kurnianto (2016) The aim of the study is to describe whether the reading materials in Real Time: An Interactive English Course for Junior High School Students Year VIII meet the aspects of content, the aspects of language use and readability, and the aspects of presentation proposed by Pusat Perbukuan, Ministry of National Education. The textbook was written by Nina Bates and published by Erlangga. The research is expected to give insights of understanding the quality of reading materials. This study was designed as a documentary analysis in the form of descriptive qualitative research in which the result would be described in the form of words rather than statistical calculation. The data were collected from the reading section in the textbook.
Actually, this research is different with Arif Kurnianto‟s research.
Nugroho Sukmo Wibowo (2016) The purpose of this research is to know how is the readability level of the reading texts in the English textbook entitled “Diktat Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris Kelas XI”. This is a qualitative research and conducted by using a descriptive qualitative method. The researcher will analyze five qualified reading texts based on Fry Graph and SMOG Readability Formula requirement in the “Diktat Pembelajaran Bahasa Inggris Kelas XI” textbook. This research different with Nugroho‟s research.
Yupika Maryansyah (2016) this research is a descriptive research which used quantitative method. It aimed at investigating the readability of texts used in teaching reading for IX grade students of MTsN 2 Kota Bengkulu. The subjects of this research were 63 texts used in teaching reading for IX grade students at MTsN 2 Kota Bengkulu. The instrument used to collect data was Fry readability formula (graph). The data were interpreted by using percentage. The research findings show that 54% out of 63 texts are easy for grade IX students of MTsN 2 Kota Bengkulu; 27% out of 63 texts are difficult; 10 % out of 63 texts are invalid; and 9% out of 63 texts are appropriate.
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Kuntum Trilestari (2017) this descriptive study tried to find out the readability levels of reading texts in “English in Focus” textbook for the eighth graders published by National Education Department (2008) based on Flesch-Kincaid formula. The data was taken from all reading texts in the textbook, and documentary technique was used to find the reading text. Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level were used to analyze reading difficulty level and reading grade level of the reading texts. Actually, this research is differ with Kuntum‟s research.
Yeli Nurhamsih (2017) The objectives of this research are to know the readability levels of the reading texts in the textbook and want to know whether or not the reading texts are suitable linguistically for the third year students of SMA. The method used in writing this research was the descriptive method. There were the 38 reading texts analyzed which were taken from an English textbook entitled “Fast Tract to English”. The data were collected through the documentation technique. Those reading texts were analyzed by using Raygor Readability Estimate. This research totally different with Yeli‟s research.
Indah Bilqis Sholihah (2018) This research investigates the readability level of reading texts in English Textbook Entitled “Bahasa Inggris” for senior high school students grade XII. The method used in this study is qualitative.
The data were gathered through analysis the readability level of the texts used Flasch Reading Ease Formula. The finding results of this research show that there are 6 texts from 16 texts that is readable or suitable with Senior High School students grade XII. Those are categorizing as readability level range Score 50-60 and readability level range score 30-50. The description style of the text is fairly difficult and difficult.
Yuliana (2019) the aim of this research was to investigate Readability Level of Reading Texts in English Book “Passport to the World” for Madrasah Tsanawiyah Asas Islamiyah Jambi Cityand the object on the first year in the academic year of 2018/2019. This is mixed method will be used because the data collected in the form of words as a descriptive explanation.
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Ratih Prezilia (2020) the purpose of this study is to know the readability level of reading texts in English language textbooks used by the eighth grade student in the academic year of 2019/2020. This research used descriptive qualitative research. The reading texts were taken from English language textbooks “English on sky 2 Kurikulum 2013 Revisi“ for Eighth Grade Student of Junior High School Published by Erlangga. Twelve reading texts are selected as research population. All of selected texts were analyzed using Flesch Reading Ease formula.
Based on these previous research, the reseacher realized that there a lot of research more than these one that have been mentioned and explained above. The most important in every research conducted is that the different or the gap itself, it distinguishes among the other research, so the writter, here, is trying to explained what makes this research is different than the other.
1.9 Frame of Thought
Based on the research background and the question of research, this research is framing the ideas into some ideas. Start from the biggest thing, it is English Textbook. Then, to the specific one for reading text including difficulty and readability level of the text.
English Textbook
Reading Text
Readability
Readability Level Difficulty of Reading Text
10 1.10 Theoritical Foundation
1.10.1 Textbook
Textbook is a book that teaches a particular subject and that is used especially in schools and colleges. Then, Elene (2014) said that the textbook presents information about a particular domain, in a selective and attractive manner, respecting the objectives and the contents scheduled in the syllabus, these been adapted to the age and to the intellectual level of students. From the definitions above, it can be concluded that textbook is a means of learning contains certain subject materials that has been adapted to the applicable curriculum so that it is appropriate to the student‟s level.
As the standard of the applicable curriculum, textbook makes teachers easier to teach the subject matter and enables students to achieve the learning goals effectively.
According to Richard (2001) as the means of learning in the classroom, using textbook has some advantages and disadvantages. The following are some advantages as mentioned:
a. They provide structure and a syllabus for a program. The textbook contains a syllabus that has been planned and developed as a reference in teaching.
b. They help standardize instruction. By making use of textbooks, students from different classes are confirmed to get the same lessons, so that they can be tested in the same way.
c. They maintain quality. Syllabus-adapted textbooks will give students the opportunity to obtain tested material based on sound learning principles, and that are paced appropriately.
d. They provide a variety of learning resources. Textbooks are often accompanied by workbooks, CDs and cassettes, videos, CD ROMs, and comprehensive teaching guides, providing a rich and varied resource for teachers and learners.
e. They are efficient. They simplify the teachers to save time in preparing teaching materials.
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f. They can provide effective language models and input. Textbooks can provide support for teachers whose first language is not English and who may not be able to generate accurate language input on their own.
g. They can train teachers. For teachers who do not have much teaching experiences, textbooks can be a teacher's training to teach based on the activities available in the textbook.
h. They are visually appealing. Textbooks are designed to interest students and teachers.
From the explanation above, it can be seen the use of textbook provide positive benefits for teachers and students. Beside efficient, the use of textbooks greatly facilitates teachers in teaching the curriculum- adjusted materials. Richards (2001) also mentioned some disadvantages from using textbook as follow:
a. They may contain inauthentic language. Textbooks sometimes present inauthentic texts in order to include teaching points that often do not represent real language usage in real life.
b. They may distort content. In order to be accepted in various circumstances, textbook materials often avoid presenting controversial topics and fail to represent real issues.
c. They may not reflect students‟ needs. There is a possibility that material provided in textbooks does not reflect students' interests and needs.
d. They can deskill teachers. If a teacher is too textbook-bound oriented, the teacher's function will change to be no longer as a learning material provider but only become someone who presents material that has been prepared by others.
e. They are expensive. This is intended for commercial textbooks which are relatively expensive so that it is burdensome for students to buy textbooks while they need them.
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From the shortcomings of textbook mentioned above, it can be seen that teachers need to be creative and not only relied on textbooks. It is important for teachers to ensure their students get material that is appropriate to their level, especially reading as an important activity in textbooks.
1.10.2 Definition of Reading
According to Spartt (2005) reading is an activity in which readers make sense of a text being read which is connected to their prior knowledge. The activity is done by the readers as they want to get information and knowledge from the text. In this process, the readers try to connect what they read in the form of written language to what they have already known about the text. Making sense of a text is done by understanding meaning of words, sentences, and even a text.
Reading is clearly an important skill because by reading the readers got a lot of information and leaning something from the written material.
According to McWhorter (1992), reading is way of taking new ideas and identifying information to be learned, it means that when one is reading a text, he may find information that will help him in learning something.
According to Anis (2015) reading is an active process which needs to have rich vocabularies to understanding the meaning of the visual text.
According to Patel and Jain (2008) and Arif (2016) “reading is most useful and important skill for people.” It means that reading almost influence our daily life, the writer can find everything that the writers want to know by reading. This is the reason why reading is very important for each individual.
1.10.3 Reading Text
Reading text provides opportunities to study vocabulary, grammar, punctuation and the way to construct paragraph, sentence and text Harmer (1998). According to Tiedemann (2011) stated that reading text is a tool of
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reading, because it is an instrument that is used to read. The form may be in visual signs and symbols including written alphabetic text. So, reading text is a written text or passage that is used to read in order to study vocabulary, grammar and punctuation and the way to construct sentence, paragraph an text.
“Bahasa Inggris” textbook published by Education and Culture Ministry is a textbook that is commonn used by some schools. It is used in the two semesters of teaching-learning process. The reading text in the textboox are arranged well. The reading text is designed with pictures which can drag the students interest to read. some text are written by giving a clear discussion or explanation of a particular genre that can help students to learn the social purpose, generic structure and language features of the text.
1.10.4 Genre of Text
Text has different types. According to Anderson and Anderson (2003) and Khairun (2013) there are some text types (genres) used in the school. They are spoof, recount, report, exposition, news item, anecdote, narrative, procedure, description, explanation, review, and discussion.
They are:
1. Procedure Text
Procedure text is a text that tells the reader or listener how to do something. Reader or listener are able to get instructions for making something, doing something, and getting somewhere from the procedure text. The social function of this text is to describe how something is accomplished through a sequence of actions or steps. It is to tell someone what to do or how to do it, this can be achieved through a range of textual forms. The structure that constructs this text are:
a. Goal. It is the introductory statement or title of the text.
b. Materials. They are things that needed to complete the goal.
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c. Steps. They are the way to achieve the goal.
Procedure text also has different language features from other text such as the sentence begin with the verb and stated as command, time words or number that show the order for carrying out the procedure, adverbs to describe how the action should be performed, and precise terms and technical language. Knapp and Watkins (2005) add the language features of procedure text are:
a. Using action verbs. Verbs are in the simple present tense and also stated as imperatives.
b. Using adverbs.
c. Using temporal connectives.
d. Using conditional connectives.
e. Using modality.
2. Descriptive Text
A text can be known from the content and the purpose of the story that describes the subject features. In this case, the text tells the readers a picture of someone or something in words. The social function of descriptive text is to describe a particular person, place or thing. The structure that constructs this text are:
a. Identification. It is opening paragraph that introduce the subject.
It identifies phenomenon to be described.
b. Description. It describes features of subject. It describes parts, qualities, and characteristics of the subject.
This text also has language features which consist of the use of present tense, adjective to describe the feature of the subject and topic sentence to begin paragraphs and organize the various aspects of the description. Language features that contain in this text are:
a. It focuses on describing specific participants.
b. It uses present tense.
c. It uses relational verbs (is, are, has, have).
d. It uses action verbs.
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e. It uses adjectives and compound adjectives.
f. It uses adverbs.
3. Recount Text
Recount text is a piece of text that retells past events, usually in the order in which they occurred. The social function of recount text is to retell events for the purpose of informing or entertaining.It tells the readers about the past events or past experiences of the writers. The structure that constructs this text are:
a. Orientation. It provides the setting and introduces participants (who, when, where).
b. Sequence of Events. It tells what happeneed in time sequences.
c. Re-orientation (optional)
d. It is closure the events or summary of the events.
The language features of recount text are:
a. It focuses on specific participants.
b. It is written in past tense. Example: We visited our relatives there.
c. It focuses on temporal connectives.
d. It uses circumstances of time and place.
e. It uses action verbs and mental verbs.
4. Report Text
Report text is a text that reports information about a subject. It describes an entire class of things, whether natural or made: mammals, the planets, rocks, plants, and computers, countries of the region, transport, and so on. The social function of this text is to describe the way things are, with reference to a range of natural, man-made and social phenomena in our environment. It describes facts about the subjects.
5. Narrative Text
A popular genre that commonly entertains readers and has power to change social opinion and attitudes is narrative. It means
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readers can find the narrative text in such science fiction book, historical fiction, and fairytales that use narrative to raise topical social issue and present their complexities. The social function of this text is to amuse, entertain and deal with actual or vicarious experience in different ways: Narratives deal with problematic events which lead to a crisis or turning point of some kind, which in turn finds a resolution.
6. Explanation Text
Explanation is a fundamental language function for understanding the world and how it operates. Explanation tells how and why things occur in scientific and technical fields. Explanation is used across the curriculum, however, it tends to be predominant as written texts in science, technology and social science subjects.The social function of explanation text is to explain the processes involved in the formation or workings of natural or sociocultural phenomena.
7. Discussion Text
Discussion is used to look at more than one side of an issue.
Discussion allows us to explore various perspectives before coming to an informed decision. The social function of this text is to present (at least) two points of view about an issue.
8. Analytical Exposition Text
Exposition is used to argue a case for or against a particular position or point of view. The social function of this text is to persuade the reader or listener that something is the case. The structure that constructs this text are:
a. Thesis. It contains position and preview. The writer introduces topic and indicates writer‟s opinion. The writer also outlines the main arguments to be presented.
b. Argument. It contains point and elaboration. The writer restates main argument outlined in preview and develops and supports each point/argument. In the elaboration the argument is supported by evidence.
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c. Reiteration. It restates writer‟s position more forcefully.
The language features of analytical exposition text are:
a. It focuses on generic human and non-human participants.
b. It uses mental verbs. Example: I think we should protect our environment.
c. It uses connectives.
d. Modality is used.
9. News Items
News Item is the text that contains information or facts about events. The social function of this text is to inform readers, listeners or viewers about events of the day which are considered newsworthy or important. The structure that constructs this text are:
a. Newsworthy event. It recounts the event in summary form.
b. Background of event. It elaborates what happened, to whom, and in what circumstances.
c. Sources. They are comments by participants in witnesses and authorities expert on the event.
The language features of news item are:
a. There is short, telegraphic information about story captioned in headline. Headline is the sort of „title‟ above newspaper articles.
b. It uses action verbs.
c. It uses verbal processes or saying verbs in sources.
d. It focuses on circumstances.
10. Anecdote Text
Anecdote is used to share with others an account of an unusual or amusing incident. The structure that constructs this text are:
a. Abstract. It signals the retelling of an unusual incident.
b. Orientation. It sets the scene.
c. Crisis. It provides details of the unusual incident d. Reaction. It is the reaction to crises.
e. Coda (optional). It is reflection on or evaluation of the incident.
18 The language features of this text are:
a. It uses exclamations, rhetorical questions and intensifiers (really, very, quite, etc.) to point up the significants of the events.
b. It uses action verbs to tell what happened.
c. It uses temporal conjunction.
11. Reviews
Reviews are used to critique an art work, event for public audience. Such works of art include movies, TV shows, books, plays, operas, recordings, exhibitions, concerts and ballets. The structure that constructs this text are:
a. Orientation. It places the work in its general and particular context. Interpretive recount.
b. It summaries the plot and/or provides an account of how the reviewed rendition of the work came into being. (Optional, but if present, often recursive)
c. Evaluation. It provides an evaluation of the work and/or its performance or production. (Usually recursive)
d. Evaluative summation. It provides a kind of punchline which sums up the reviewer‟s opinion of the art event as a whole (optional).
The language features of review are:
a. It focuses on particular participants.
b. Direct expression of opinion through use of attitudinal lexis.
c. It uses of elaborating and extending clause and group complexes to package the information.
12. Hortatory Exposition
Hortatory exposition is a text which represents the attempt of the writer to have the addressee do something or act in certain way.
The structure that constructs this text are:
a. Thesis b. Arguments
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The language features of hortatory exposition are:
a. Focusing on the writer
b. Using abstract noun; policy, advantage, etc c. Using action verb
d. Using thinking verb
e. Using modal adverb; certainly, surely, etc f. Using temporal connective; firstly, secondly, etc
g. Using evaluative words; important, valuable, trustworthy, etc h. Using passive voice
i. Using simple present tense 13. Spoof
Spoof is like a recount, but the ending is usually funny. The social function of this text is to retell an event with a humoruous twist.
The structure that constructs this text are:
a. Orientation. It provides sets of the scene.
b. Event(s). It tells what happened.
c. Twist. It provides the „punchline‟.
The language features of review are:
a. It focuses on individual participants.
b. It uses action verbs.
c. It uses circumstances of time and place.
d. It uses past tense.
1.10.5 Definition of Readability
According to Dubay (2004) the readability level of text is a major factor influencing whether or not material can be read with understanding.
Text that is complex in terms of concepts, vocabulary, sentence length and structure is difficult for readers to process. It means that the students have to read based on their level.
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Readability formula is an application that can measure difficulty level of text. It can be predict reading ease of text. It is help to know students fluency of reading text Westwood (2005). Readability formula is a tool that can help the teacher to find out the suitable book for students in particular grade level or ages Zamanian and Heydary (2012). It is asses to help of reading skill in EFL students. According to Zamanian & Heydari (2012) readability formula has some advantage and disadvantage. The advantages of readability formula are:
1) Readability formula can measure the grade-level of the reader.
2) Readability formula can predict the text is too hard or not easily, it can be save money, energy, and time.
3) Readability formula easy to use, and etc.
The disadvantages of readability formula are:
1) Readability formula cannot predict the readers‟ comprehension.
2) Readability formula cannot measure the prior knowledge, difficulty of concept, interest level, and coherence of text, and etc. In short, the researcher suggests for the user of readability formula to re- evaluate the validity of the formula.
To implement readability formula, the researcher use web application. The address of the application is https://readable.com. Based on the application, there are some readability formulas. It consists of flesch-kincaid reading ease, flesch-kincaid grade level, gunning-fog score, coleman-liau index, and SMOG index.
Scott (2015) said that researchers and writers have been using readability formulas since 1920 and, over the years, they have spent a lot of time devising the most accurate and scientific formulas to assess readability. Some of the popular and commonly used formulas include:
1) Flesch Reading Ease Formula
In 1948, Flesch published a second formula with two parts.
The first part, the Reading Ease formula, dropped the use of affixes and used only two variables, the number of syllables and the
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number of sentences for each 100-word sample. It predicts reading ease on a scale from 1 to 100, with 30 being “very difficult” and 70 being “easy.” Dubay (2004) stated that a score of 100 indicates reading matter understood by readers who have completed the fourth grade and are, in the language of the U.S. Census barely
“functionally literate.” The second part of Flesch‟s formula predicts human interest by counting the number of personal words (such as pronouns and names) and personal sentences (such as quotes, exclamations, and incomplete sentences). Here, the researcher will analyze reading ease by the following formula (Bravos: 2010):
206.835 – 1.015 (
) – 84.6 ( )
Based on the result above, Zamanian and Heydari (2012) categorize. the score in the table 1.1 :
Score Description Predicted
Reading Grade
90-100 Very easy 5th Grade
80-90 Easy 6th Grade
70-80 Fairly easy 7th – 9th Grade
60-70 Normal 10th–12th
Grade
50-60 Fairly difficult Fairly Difficult
30-50 Difficult Difficult
0-30 Very difficult (best understood by college graduates)
Colleges graduate
2) Flesch Reading Grade Level
The Flesch–Kincaid readability tests are readability tests designed to indicate how difficult a passage in English is to
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understand. There are two tests: the Flesch Reading-Ease, and the Flesch–Kincaid Grade Level. Although they use the same core measures (word length and sentence length), they have different weighting factors. According to Bravo (2010), the formula of flesh- kincaid grade level as follow:
0.39 (
) 11.8 (
) – 15.59
The formula above, has created by Rudolf Flesch and Co- Authored.
3) Gunning Fog Score
Gunning developed his formula using a 90% correct-score with the McCall- Crabbs reading tests. This gives the formula a higher grade criterion than other formulas except for McLaughlin‟s SMOG formula, which is based on a 100% correct-answer criterion. The grade-level scores predicted by these two formulas tend to be higher than other formulas. Gunning found that popular magazines were consistent in their reading levels over time. He published these correlations between reading levels of different classes of magazine. The formula above was developed by Robert Gunning in 1952.
* ( )+
A hard word above means the word that has three syllables or more. It is not including proper nouns, familiar jargon or compound words, or common suffixes such as -es, -ed, or -ing as a syllable.
4) Coleman Liau-Index
The Coleman–Liau index was designed to be easily calculated mechanically from samples of hard-copy text. Unlike syllable-based readability indices, it does not require that the character content of words be analyzed, only their length in characters. Therefore, it could be used in conjunction with
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theoretically simple mechanical scanners that would only need to recognize character, word, and sentence boundaries, removing the need for full optical character recognition or manual keypunching.
According to Bravo (2010) Coleman-Liau Index is a readability test designed by Meri Coleman and T. L. Liau in 1967.
CLI ( ) ( ) 5) SMOG (Simple Measure of Gobbledygook) Formula
1.043 √
The formula for calculating the SMOG grade was developed by G. Harry McLaughlin as a more accurate and more easily calculated substitute for the Gunning fog index and published in 1969. To make calculating a text's readability as simple as possible an approximate formula was also given count the words of three or more syllables in three 10-sentence samples.
Normally, readability formula is a tool that used to measure written language practically. It is used to predict grade levels and ages in particularly text. There are some advantages and disadvantages of this tool. In this research, the researcher is originally measure grade level of text based on readability formula. In short, to measure readability level and difficulty of the text appropriately the educators can measure readability text by using readability formula and students in particularly grade.
1.11 Research Methodology
There are some attention that the researcher uses to do in this research, it begins from the research method, source and type of data, technique of collecting data, technique data analysis:
1.11.1 Research Method
The method of this research was conducted by using qualitative research through content analysis technique. According to Krisppendorff
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(2004), content analysis is a research technique for making replicable and valid inferences from texts (or other meaningful matter) to the contexts of their use. As a technique, it involves specialized procedures. It is learnable and divorceable from the personal authority of the researcher.
1.11.2 Source and type of data
To find the readability level of reading texts, the researcher use document study to be the source of data of research question. The document is about reading texts from English textbook “Bahasa Inggris”
for XII Grade Senior High School.
1.11.3 Instrument of the research
Data are required to undertake the findings of this research. Those data will be obtained by using the following instruments; the particular tools are needed for collecting the data in this study is document study.
Creswell (2012) Document study consist of public and private records that qualitative researcher obtain about site or participant in a research, there is textbook.
The instrument is document study of English textbook “Bahasa Inggris” for XII Grade Senior High School. Documents in this research are reading texts in English textbook “Bahasa Inggris”. Documents represent a good source for text (word) data for qualitative research Creswell (2012).
The readability level formula is the most important instrument in this research.
1.11.4 Technique of collecting data
Document is a technique of collecting data will used in qualitative.
Hopkins (1993) stated that document surrounding curriculum or other educational concern can illumine rationale and purpose in interesting ways. The use of such material can provide background information and understanding what issues that would not otherwise be available. The documentary data are English book for Senior High School Grade XII.
25 1.11.5 Technique of data analysis
The data will collect by investigate the readability by using Flesch Reading Ease. According to Ary (2010: 457) to analyze and process the data, it needs some steps. Although the steps involved in a content analysis:
a. Specify the phenomenon to be investigate
It means that, the researcher should know kind of phenomenon that will be analyze. In this case, the researcher will investigate reading material textbook.
b. Select the media which the observation are to be made
It means that, the researcher should know what media that will use to observe the phenomenon. Here, the researcher will use Bahasa Inggris textbook for the twelfth grader of senior high school revised edition (2018) as the media that will observe.
c. Formulate exhaustive and mutually exclusive coding categories so that the verbal or symbolic content can be counted.
d. Decide on the sampling plan to be used in order to obtain a representative sample of the documents
e. Train the coders
It means that, the sample that will observe the coding scheme that has been developed and thus contribute to the reliability of the content analysis.
f. Analyze the data
After the data collect, the researcher start to analyze the data based on research formulation.
1) Readability level
Choose the text that will be analyze.
Copy the text, then paste the text to web https://wordcounter.net that can measure the number of sentences, words, and syllables each text.
Analyze the readability of the text.
26 2) Difficulty of the text
Choose the text that will be analyze.
Copy the text ten paste the to web https://www.readable.com
Analyze the difficulty of the text.
1.12 Research Timeline
The researcher conducted this reseaech in three months start from applying the proposal to the finish. The process can be described by the table as follow:
Table 1.2 Research Timeline
No Activities
Times: 2021
September October November 1. Applying Proposal
2. Proposal Seminar
3. Conducting Research
4. Collecting Data
5. Analyzing Data
6. Finishing the Research
